Crying for Help
by Angel Breedlove
Summary: Emma starts hearing voices, and the team tries to disband a new enemy (Chapter 2 now up!)
1. Default Chapter

Emma stared at the flickering flame in front of her. She took a deep breath, letting the tensions of the day slip away. A sense of calmness filled her mind. Emma loved this part of her day. It was a chance to finally be by herself, without all the emotions of other people crowding into her mind. She took another breath, letting the silence wash over her –

"Hey, Emma!"

Emma slowly, deliberately turned and favoured Brennan with a withering glare. "Yes?"

Brennan fidgeted awkwardly, looking decidedly uncomfortable. "Err…it can wait." He backed slowly out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Emma sighed, and turned back to the candle. Once again, she felt a wave of stillness fill her.

"Emma, do you know where the plug for the laptop is?"

Emma took a deep breath and let it out slowly before replying.

"It's in the cubby by the computer, Jesse," she said slowly and quietly, trying not the let her frustration show.

Jesse's gaze flickered from Emma to the candle and back to Emma again. "Oops, sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

Once Jesse had left, Emma turned back to her candle, trying to recapture her sense of calmness.

"Emma, can I borrow your red top?"

"You mean the one you're wearing?" Emma growled, sounding almost as feral as Shalimar was.

Shalimar looked down, then grinned sheepishly. "Whoopsie!" She smiled brightly, then flounced out of the room. Emma gritted her teeth, then turned and glared at the candle, her concentration completely broken. She could feel the assorted emotions of her teammates beginning to break through her temporary mental barrier. When the door to her room opened once again, Emma's frustration finally boiled over.

"Will you people leave me alone? All I ask for is half an hour a day to myself but no, you all have to keep interrupting me! I mean, I think the least you can do is let me have a little peace, after all I do for you! And didn't your parents ever teach you to knock before you come into the room? I mean, it is common courtesy. How would you like it if I barged into your room any old time I pleased? You don't even --- uh, hi Adam."

"Am I interrupting something? I don't want to intrude."

"No, don't worry about it. I'm just a little on edge today, that's all." Emma sighed.

Adam's smiling eyes regarded her sympathetically. "Tough day?"

Emma groaned, and sank back down to the ground. She looked at the candle, which had gone out.

"You don't know the half of it," she moaned. "I burned myself at breakfast, the New Mutant I was supposed to meet never showed, I ripped my favourite skirt, lost twenty dollars, almost got run over by a truck, had to fight off a six foot tall mugger, got a blister from my new boots, and now I can't even meditate in peace!"

Adam whistled. "Very tough day," he said.

Emma shrugged resignedly. "I'm putting it off to karmic payback for something – although I have no idea who I apparently murdered."

Adam chuckled, and rose to his feet. "I'll let you get back to your meditation – and I'll make sure nobody bothers you, even if I have to lock them all in the Dojo. They could use the combat practice, anyway."

Emma gave Adam a small, grateful smile. "Thanks."

Adam smiled back, then gave her shoulder a quick squeeze and left the room.

Emma turned back to the candle. She took a deep breath – then jumped in surprise as the candle came to life with a small poof. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Emma realized that the other 7 candles in her room had also lit. Her main attention, however, was focused on the flame in front of her. It seemed innocent enough – aside from having just lit itself – but Emma still found herself tensing, waiting for something, though she couldn't figure out what. For a moment, there was a dead silence in the world around her. Even time itself seemed to stop.

"Help me."

The voice was quiet, almost childlike, yet it seemed to echo through Emma's mind. Emma gasped as a surge of intense sadness passed through her. Tears sprang to her eyes unbidden. She suddenly felt so alone, so vulnerable. She wanted to call for Adam, Shalimar, anybody, but her mouth just wouldn't co-operate.

As abruptly as it came, the feeling left. Once again, there was a moment of complete stillness, total silence. Then a searing pain ripped through Emma's mind. A ragged scream forced itself out of her throat, as she collapsed to the ground, sobbing in agony. Somewhere outside of the blackness enveloping her, Emma was vaguely aware of someone speaking.

"Emma? Emma, what's wrong? Can you hear me?"

"Adam?" Emma's throat felt raw and dry from the effort of her screams, and the word came out as a cracked whisper.

"It's going to be okay," Adam's voice was gentle, soothing. Instinctively, Emma pushed herself against him, seeking protection. She felt a cool hand press softly against her forehead. The pain subsided, and Emma let herself fall into a cocoon of darkness, aware of Adam carefully lifting her. The last thing she was aware of was the feeling of Adam's arms around her.


	2. Adversary Revealed

Emma opened her eyes and yawned.  Stretching luxuriously, she sat up and looked around her.  The medical lab was swathed in a dim blue light, making it look peaceful, almost surreal.  Outside the lab, Sanctuary was dark. Emma swung her legs over the edge of the bed and glanced at her watch. Four am.  She had slept for over nine hours.  Emma yawned again, and looked leisurely around the medical lab, at the same time testing her telempathic abilities.  There was still a small amount of sadness – coupled with a large amount of headache.  Emma rubbed her temples, then noticed a dark bundle in one of the chairs.  After a moment, she realized that it was Adam.  He was fast asleep, a book resting on his chest, a small smile on his face.  He had a look of contented peace that Emma rarely saw in his waking hours.  She smiled, then closed her eyes, probing into his dream, searching for whatever was making him so peaceful.  She knew it was wrong to invade someplace so sacred, so private, but she needed to capture some of his contentment, before the sadness threatened to overwhelm her again.

"Emma?  What are you doing?"

Emma jumped guiltily, her eyes flying open.  "Nothing."  After a moment, she sighed.

"You just looked so – peaceful.  I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have invaded you like that."

Adam stood up.  "It's alright.  What happened in there?"

Emma stood up, too, and began to pace the room.  "I'm not – sure, exactly.  All the candles in my room lit, and then I – I heard someone say 'help me' in my mind.  They were filled with so much sadness, Adam, so much pain.  And then – well, let's just say that my migraines won't seem as bad anymore."  Emma gave Adam a flash of a wry smile, then grew solemn again.  "Whoever it was, they're still here, in the back of my mind, like a – a telempathic whisper.  I don't think I can block it."  After a pause, she added, "I'm not sure I want to."

Emma looked at Adam, her eyes pleading.  Whoever it is, I have to help them."

Adam wrapped his arms around Emma, enveloping her in a comforting warmth.  'We'll do anything we can to help."

Emma smiled again.  "In that case, how about some Tylenol, or maybe some hard liquor?"

"Tylenol it is."

"Party pooper."

x X x

"Let me get this straight.  What're you talking about is a new and improved GSA?"

Brennan looked at Jesse skeptically.  "Even I have trouble believing the government's stupid enough to try that again."

Jesse shook his head.  "It's not the government.  This agency is privately owned."

"By who?"

"I haven't figured that out yet," Jesse replied, turning back to the computer.  "These guys keep their computer mainframe pretty locked up."  He cursed quietly as the words 'ACCESS DENIED' flashed across the screen, seeming to almost gloat at him.  "I've been trying to get in for almost two days now."

Brennan grinned.  "Maybe you're getting rusty, Kilmartin."

Jesse glared.  "And maybe you're a moron."  He turned back to the computer.  "I'm going to get in.  And when I do…"  He left the threat unfinished as Emma slowly climbed up the stairs.  "Emma!"

Emma smiled.  "Mornin' all."

Brennan looked at her, a concerned expression on his face.  "How are you feeling?"

"Well, other than the fact that someone keeps playing a steel drum band in my head, peachy."  Emma walked over to the kitchen area.  "That, and I'm starving."  She began to rummage through the cupboards, finally pulling out a box of crackers. "So, what did I miss?"

"Well," Brennan replied slowly,  "Jesse thinks he might have found a privately run version of the GSA."

Emma dropped the box in surprise.  "What?  Does Adam know?"

"Does Adam know what?"  Shalimar asked, sauntering in from the hallway.

"Jesse found another GSA," Emma said quietly, still in a state of shock.

Shalimar stared at Jesse for a moment before speaking.  "You found what?"

"You guys are blowing this way out of proportion," Jesse said, exasperated.  "I'm not even one hundred percent sure yet."

"Sure of what?" Adam asked, coming up from the med-lab.

Brennan, Shalimar and Emma chorused, "Jesse found a new GSA!"

Adam instantly looked concerned.  "I see.  How sure are you?"

Jesse shrugged, shooting glares at his teammates.  "About sixty, until I can get into their mainframe."

Emma listened as Adam and Jesse discussed their problem.  It was all way beyond her comprehension.  Suddenly, she became aware of a weak but insistant presence inside her mind.  Closing her eyes, Emma withdrew inside herself.  

~Hello?~

~Emma – Emma, help me.~

~How?~

~The password – it's control.  Help me.~

Emma could feel the presence – she was certain it was a girl – begin to fade.

~Wait – don't go – who are you?~

~Clara….~

"Emma?  Are you okay?"

Emma jumped, her eyes snapping open, then smiled at Shalimar.  "Yeah, I'm okay."  Seeing the disbelief of everyone's faces, she argued, "I am, really!  And the password is control."

Everyone continued to stare – except for Jesse, who spun towards the computer and began typing furiously.  A moment later, he let out a whoop of triumph. "Go Emma!"

Emma blushed.  "It was Clara – and will you all stop staring at me?  I'm starting to wonder if I've grown a third arm or something."

"Who's Clara?" asked Brennan.

Emma frowned, considering what to say.  If she told her teammates that she was hearing voice, she'd also be hearing teasing for the next two months.  After a moment, she answered, "I'm not sure, exactly.  She's been sending me telempathic messages, asking for my help."

Shalimar frowned.  "Is she the reason you had that – seizure – thing?"

Emma glared at her.  "It wasn't her fault.  I think she was in a large amount of pain, and unintentionally passed it on to me."

"How do you know it wasn't intentional?" Brennan asked suspiciously.

"Well, she didn't do anything to me this time, did she?" Emma retorted.  "Not to mention that she got Jesse into his mainframe.  I'd say she's being pretty helpful."

Brennan raised his hands in defense.  "Hey, I'm just being careful.  You don't have to bite my head off."

Emma glared at him.  "I'm going to help her, and if you wont' help me, I'll do it myself."

Adam grasped Emma firmly but gently by the shoulders.  "Emma, we never said we weren't going to help you.  We just wanted to make sure that this Clara isn't trying to hurt you."

Emma looked at him, then nodded.  "I'm sorry.  It's just – she seems so sad – I think she's in serious trouble."

"You said her name was Clara?"

Emma looked at Jesse in surprise, and nodded.  "Why?"

Jesse gestured to the computer screen.  On it was a picture of a young girl, no more then 12 years old.  "Because she's a prisoner of this GSA."


End file.
